1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of window treatments, and more particularly to a window shading system and housing-guide assembly for enhancing the delivery and housing of a window shade element.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The field of window shading systems and the like is somewhat well-developed. The art relating to window shading means comprising unique housing assembly and unfurled shade delivery means is a bit more limited. Some of the more pertinent prior art directed to these types of developments is believed to be briefly described hereinafter. U.S. Pat. No. 1,102,094 ('094 patent), which issued to Smith, for example, discloses a Window Screen. The '094 patent describes a combination window casing and window screen assembly.
A substantially semi-tubular housing is secured to the outer face of the casing, and caps closed at one end and open at the other are further disclosed. The ends of said housing extend into the open ends of said housing and extend into the open ends of said caps. The caps are secured to the window casing for holding the housing in place. The lower edge of the housing occurs in spaced relation to the window casing, and a roller is pivotally supported within the housing. A screen is on the roller, and guides receive the edges of said screen. A hand hold on the lower edge of said screen extends between the guide strips, and means carried by said hand hold frictionally engage said casing to hold the screen in adjusted position longitudinally of the guide strips.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,316,027 ('027 patent), which issued to Swormstedt, discloses a Dark Closure. The '027 patent describes a housing for a spring roller, substantially semi-circular end wall members each having an attachment foot, said end wall members shaped to provide respectively pivotal and non-pivotal support for a spring roller, and a pair of telescopic sections forming lateral wall portions of said housing, said sections having sockets on their ends, and said end wall members having pins to enter said sockets whereby the said lateral wall portions of said housing, said sections having sockets on their ends, and said end wall members having pins to enter said sockets whereby the said lateral wall portions of said housing may be removed without disturbing the said end wall members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,189 ('189 patent), which issued to Marquez, discloses a Window Shade Sealing System. The '189 patent describes a complete window shade and sealing system having a separate unit having peel-off adhesive permitting all portions of the system to be press-fitted onto an existing window frame, creating a completely sealed cover for the window when the shade is in its down position, preventing the entry of air, dust, radio-active fall-out, etc., and greatly reducing energy-sapping heat transfers occurring through the window by creating an air pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,978 ('978 patent), which issued to Keller et al., discloses a Roller Shade Seal System. The '978 patent describes a simple, relatively low cost system for sealing an ordinary roller shade with respect to the window frame sides, top and bottom is provided. The roller shade seal system essentially comprises a pair of edge seal assemblies in the form of elongate mounting strip members adapted to be permanently mounted to opposite vertical faces of the window frame trim, and a pair of sealing strip members in the form of elongate, generally U-shaped channels adapted to sealably engage the latter edges of the shade, releasably mounted to an associated mounting strip. The window shade sealing system is completed by a shade bottom edge seal comprising a rigid bottom strip reinforcing member, a sill sealing strip and a shade top sealing member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,855 ('855 patent), which issued to Volfson, describes a Roll Type Closure Assembly for a Window. The '855 patent discloses a roll type closure assembly for a window opening utilizing a roller shade mounted by brackets in the window opening. Side edge guides are provided which include a channel portion for receiving the side edges of the window shade, a mounting flange portion and a connecting portion between the mounting flange portion and the channel portion.
A flex line is provided in the connecting portion to allow the mounting flange portion and the channel portion to be moved relative to each other between a first position extending generally perpendicular to a plane bisecting the channel portion for mounting on the window casing inside the window opening and a second position extending generally parallel to a plane bisecting the channel portion for mounting on the window casing outside the window opening. A U-shaped roller housing is provided for enclosing the roller and is mounted by end caps on the roller mounting brackets to provide a seal between the upper portion of the window shade and the top of the window casing.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,726,969 ('969 patent), which issued Lin, describes a Multi-Function Shade Assembly and Method. The '969 patent discloses a double shade including a head rail, at least one end cap having an end panel disposed with the head rail and a bracket arm extending from the end panel, a first window treatment being disposed with the head rail, a second window treatment being disposed with the bracket arm, and a clip engaged with the first window treatment and the second window treatment.
A double shade includes a head rail extending between first and second ends, first and second end caps including respective end panels mounted with the first and second ends of the head rail and respective bracket arms extending from the end panels, a cellular shade mounted with the head rail, and a roller shade extending between first and second ends respectively mounted with the bracket arms of the first and second end caps, wherein the cellular shade is independently movable relative to the roller shade.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,830,058 ('058 patent), which issued to Yeh, describes a Duet Power-Driven Window Shade. The '058 patent discloses a duet power-driven window shade comprising a controlling device to receive an external controlling signal, which is then analyzed, determined and compared with a preset value in a memory unit of the controlling device. A driving signal is output via a processing unit according to a comparing result. A power source then brings convolutions of a first covering sheet and a second covering sheet in sequence or concurrently for increasing the rolling speed and the using convenience and allowing the connecting members connected to the covering sheets to be efficiently rolled up without entanglement so that the duet power-driven window shade is smoothly operated.
From a consideration of the foregoing, it will be noted that the prior art perceives a need for a window shade system and housing-guide assembly for shading a window systemically including a shade assembly, a bracket element and a guide-cover element according to the teachings of the following specifications. The prior art particularly appears to perceive a need for housing-guide assembly for housing and guiding shade element such that the bracket element includes a bracket-to-support interface portion and a guide-cover attachment portion, and the guide-cover element includes a bracket-attachment portion, a shade-cover portion, and a shade-guide portion as summarized in more detail hereinafter.